Radio frequency performance is highly important in many high frequency applications such as, for example, phase array radar equipment. The many coaxial cable lines used in such equipment must have precise lengths so that the phase shift of the signals moving therealong is held to a very tight tolerance.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 408,958 filed Aug. 17, 1982, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for measuring the electrical lengths of coaxial cables to be terminated prior to the coaxial cables being permanently terminated to make certain the electrical lengths of the cables are correct.
In most cases, the cables have to be trimmed to the precise lengths prior to being permanently terminated.